‘The Flash’ recap: 6×11 “Love is a Battlefield”

Even villains need a little romance.

This episode did not go how I thought it would. And that’s okay, because it was thoroughly entertaining.

Rough road to romance

Valentine’s week starts weirdly in the WestAllen home when Iris makes proper pancakes for breakfast. Last we saw her, she was getting dragged into a mirror, so that is suspicious.

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Then, their date night at a fancy restaurant is interrupted by Amunet, who is delightful to watch as ever. Barry tries to stop her but has to let her walk when she threatens to reveal his identity as The Flash to the other diners. Iris infiltrates Amunet’s old bar to figure out her next target, putting on an act that is just uncharacteristically too brutal to really be Iris, yet badass enough to be believable. This is great work by Candice Patton.

Barry and Iris stake out Amunet’s next target location, but the takedown is interrupted by Goldfinger. Apparently, the two had a rough breakup and are now duking it out by trying to ruin each other’s evil plans. The scene of them arguing over music tastes while shooting at each other was hilarious.

Flowers from the Flash

Anyway, Iris nicks the tech they were after while the villains fight each other. With this, she figures out Amunet’s plan to steal some flower with pollen that can give one the ability to read minds.

Iris visits Amunet with a very believable story about how she thinks she and Barry are growing apart and wants in on using the flower if she gives Amunet the tech. Amunet, a huge fan of “rouge ways to love”, eats it up. “This may be the start of a beautiful friendship!”

But of course, Goldfinger interrupts just as they get to the flower and fighting breaks out again. The Flash shows up and tries to talk them into making up. It goes spectacularly – they both put their differences aside long enough to knock Barry aside before resuming their quarrel. “Remember when I told you I liked your dog? I lied! I’m a cat person!”

Finally, Iris tells Barry to zap the flower, releasing its pollen so Amunet and Goldfinger read each other’s minds and realise they still have mutual feelings. They cease fighting and start making out. This is as close to the sex pollen trope you’re gonna get on TV.

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Well, at least one couple is saved. Back at home, Barry apologises to Iris for being critical of her this week. He accepts that she changed without him while he was fighting in Crisis. That is valid, but the reason he butted heads with Iris this week was because it wasn’t even really Iris! At the end, we see the real Iris trapped in the mirror-verse, calling out to her husband to no avail.

Silly Love Songs

“Love doesn’t come in a minute – sometimes it doesn’t come at all.” Killer Frost finds Allegra moping over an aspiring musician guy called Emerson as makes it her mission to get them back together this Valentine’s day/week. Of course, it backfires at first when it appears this Emerson guy has a new girlfriend.

Later, Frost learns that Allegra started dating Emerson after her first spell in prison but ghosted him to avoid telling him about her powers. After a pep talk with Nash Wells, she passes his advice on to Allegra. The younger girl finds the courage to reach out to Emerson, come clean about ghosting him, and try to be friends.

Meanwhile, Frost also picks up on Nash’s “parental” fondness for Allegra and offers to be a listening ear if he has anything to talk about. Always the scene stealers, Wellses are – Nash has a vision of Harry Wells as he ponders Frost’s offer.

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There’s one more couple to talk about: KF mentions Ralph is still working on the Dearbon case. Well, next week’s promo looks promising……